Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 53, Issues 1–2, July–August 2011, Pages 24-28
Preventive Medicine

Worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity and its association with human development index in 76 countries

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.02.017Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To describe the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity and to analyze its association with development level of each country.

Methods

Pooled analysis of three multicenter studies, conducted between 2002 and 2004, which investigated the prevalence of physical inactivity in 76 countries, and comprised almost 300,000 individuals aged 15 years or older. Each study used the International Physical Activity Questionnaire to assess physical inactivity. The level of development of each country was analyzed by the Human Development Index (HDI).

Results

The crude worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity was 21.4% (95%CI 18.4–24.3), being higher among women (mean = 23.7%, 95%CI 20.4–27.1) than men (mean = 18.9%, 95%CI 16.2–21.7). It ranged from 2.6% (in Comoros) to 62.3% (in Mauritania), with a median equal to 18%. After weighting for the total population of each country, the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity was 17.4% (95%CI 15.1–19.7). There was a positive association between HDI and prevalence of physical inactivity (rho = 0.27). Less developed countries showed the lowest prevalence of physical inactivity (18.7%), while physical inactivity was more prevalent among the most developed countries (27.8%).

Conclusions

One out of five adults around the world is physically inactive. Physical inactivity was more prevalent among wealthier and urban countries, and among women and elderly individuals.

Introduction

Physical inactivity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality (WHO, 2010). Physical inactivity levels are rising in many countries with major implications for increases in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and the general health of the population worldwide (WHO, 2010). The 2002 World Health Report suggested that around 3% of the global burden of disease in developed countries and more than 20% of cardiovascular diseases and 10% of strokes were caused by physical inactivity (WHO, 2002), placing physical inactivity among the 10 leading causes of death and disabilities in the developed world (WHO, 2002). The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 2 million deaths per year are caused by physical inactivity (World Health Assembly 57.17, 2004). Based on these findings, physical inactivity has been identified as one of the biggest public health problems of the 21st century (Blair, 2009).

Despite the well known benefits of regular physical activity, a global report from 2000, comprising 14 sub-regions (WHO, 2002), indicated that 17.7% of the global population (aged 15 years and over) were not engaged in any kind of physical activity, and that nearly 58% was not achieving the recommended amount of moderate-intensity activity to be considered physically active (2.5 h/week) (USDHHS, 2008). However, a number of direct and indirect data sources and a range of survey instruments and methodologies were used to estimate activity levels. Most data were available for leisure–time activity only, with fewer direct data available on occupational activity and even less direct data available for activities related to transport and household tasks.

There have been three multicenter studies that investigated the prevalence of physical inactivity using the same instrument and definition (Bauman et al., 2009a, Bauman et al., 2009b, Guthold et al., 2008, Sjöström et al., 2006). Although these studies do not include all world countries, they encompass low, middle and high-income nations. By combining the data from these studies it is possible to generate an international estimate of physical inactivity that covers a variety of countries and regions in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate and describe the worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity and to analyze this information according to the development level of each country.

Section snippets

Methods

This study consists of a pooled analysis of three multicenter studies, which investigated the prevalence of physical inactivity in several countries using a standardized instrument. Study number 1 was published by Guthold et al. (2008), using data from the “World Health Survey”. It was conducted in 2002–2003 with 51 countries, most of which were low and middle income, and included data from 212,021 adults (18–69 years old). Study number 2 was published by Bauman et al., 2009a, Bauman et al.,

Results

Overall, physical activity data were available for 76 countries, comprising about 80% of the world estimated population for the year 2003. Seven countries (Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, India, Portugal and Sweden) were included in two studies and one country (Spain) entered in the three studies. The prevalence of physical inactivity within each of these countries was very similar, except for India, where the prevalence found by one study (Bauman et al., 2009a, Bauman et al., 2009b)

Discussion

This study provided estimates of a worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity. We compiled data from three multicenter studies, with similar protocols, carried out during the same time period. Data from 76 countries were represented in these three studies (Bauman et al., 2009a, Bauman et al., 2009b, Guthold et al., 2008, Sjöström et al., 2006), and the pooled results yielded the largest international estimate of physical inactivity so far. This approach also allowed exploring whether physical

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgments

S.C. Dumith received a scholarship from National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq; process 142187/2007-0), and from Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES; process 23038.032507/2008-66). The funding agencies had no participation in the interpretation, analysis, writing and approval of this manuscript.

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